Electric-circuit interrupter.



H. R. STUART; ELEGTRIU CIRCUIT INTERRUPTE R.

APPLIGATIO-N FILED JAN. 24, 1906.

Patented Oct. 12, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR m 78W WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY H. R. STUART.

ELECTRIC CIRGUITYINT ERRUPTER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.24,1906

Patented Oct. 12, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 ti: 1' I WI {NVENTOR A'TTORNFY H R. STUAR T ELEGTRI C CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER.

APPLICATION TILED JAN.24, 190,6. Patented- Oc 7-1 v v I a SHEETS-SHEET a.

wnNEssEs:

' INVENTOR ATiORNEY matical 1 UNITED sTATEs PATENT orrion.

' HABVE R. STUART, OF WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T WESTINGHOUSI EIiECTRIC & MANUFACTURIN COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC-CIRCUIT mrnimurrnnf seems. I

T0 flllwhom it mag concern;

Ba t known that I, HARvE R. STUART, a

citizen-of the Unitedlstates, and a residentoLWilkinsburg, in 'the county of Allegheny and-State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric Circuit Interrupters, of'which the following is a specification. 1My vinvention relates to electric circuit interrupters which are arranged to autoy open circuits underpredetermined v [conditionsand it has for its object to provide aide-vice of this character'that shall be spe- -.c'ial ly adapted for high voltage service and Satisfactory switchboard mou'nting; that j shallbe simple and durable in construction andi that. shall embody an improved, adjustablc," release-magnet mechanism- A circuit interrupter which is automatically released underoverload conditions is usually provided .witha tripping-magnetmechanism which com-prises'a magnetizing coil connected in series with the interrupter aiidla core member having relatively stationary and movable portions of magnetizable material. By reason of their circuit. connections thev magnet coils are necessarily insulated for the maximum, voltage for which the interrupter is'designed and, in the prior art, when high voltage interrupters were mounted on the back'of a switchboard,

the. tripping coils wereusually located on theifront of the board to permit the adjustment ot-the parts to effect variations in the current value at which the circuit should be automatically interrupted. With relatively high-voltage interrupter-s, this arrangement lllVOlVGCl considerable expense and ditiiculty,

either'to provide adequate insulation for the coilor to reduce its voltage by means of a transformer for the safety and protection of the attendant, Q g

In order thatsuitable adjustment may be efiected from oneface "of a switchboard Without locating any current-carrying.parts (in-that face or involving the useof transformers, I provide a pivotally mounted lever, the innerend of which is connected by alost. motion connection to a movable portion of thetripping-magnet. core member, which is groundedand the outer, end of which "extends through a: slot in the switch.-

heard;- In this way, the magnetizing coil may be insulated by any'convement means or it may be constructed of bare wire or strap Specification of Letters Patent.-

Patented Oct. "12, 1 909.

Application filed January 24, 1906. Serial No. 297,688.

conductor and be oil immersed ifthe switch parts operate in Oll.

The controller of my invention, exclusive of the aforesaid tripping mechanism, co1n prises contact terminalsoi a special design which insure a good contact and offer no resistance to the opening of the circuit, as well as extinguish arcs which may be formed upon the interruption of the circuit.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation partially in section, Fig. 2 is a 312m view and F i 3 a front elevation of a circuit interrupter which is constructed in accordance with my invention.

Referring to the drawings, a circuit interrupter 1 comprises a frame 2 which is mounted upon an. insulating slab or switchboard panel 3 and supports aplurality of stationary contact members 4, 5, 6, 7 8and 9, movable contact members 10 and 11, an operating lever .12 and'an overload release magnet 13. The stationary contact members 4, 5, 8 and 9 are supported from an insulating plate 14 and comprise arcingcontact v members and cuwent-carrying switch members which extend below the plate'14and connectors 16 that are surrounded by insulating bushings 17 and extend above the plate. The arcing contact members comprise pin terminalslS which are movably fitted into holes 19, in'theplat-e H and are.

connected to the currentcarrying switch members by angular plates or strips 20, their longitudinal movement being limited and controlled bythe collars- 21. and by springs 22 which surround them 'betweenthe plate It and the collars, 'lhestationary currentcari'ying switch membershave 'contact terminals formed of flexible strips 23 the lower ends ofwhich are bent inwardly and .up-

wardlv to form substantially V-shaped re- Hollow wedge are engaged by a latch 37.

strips 25extend outwardly from the wedge blocks to engage the arcing terminal pins 18, the arrangement of parts being such that plished by a link 26 one end of which is pivoted to a block 27 with which the V-shaped plates are provided and the other end of which is pivoted to one end of the operating lever 12. The length of the connecting link 26 is such that the operating lever 12 is in a substantially horizontal oosition when the movable contact mei'n-l'ien 10 and 11 occupy a position midway'between the stationary terminals 4 and 5, and 8 and 9, consequently, as the lever is moved through a slight angle in one direction in a vertical plane the mov able contact members will move into engageinent with one set of stationary members and, as it is moved through a similar angle in the opposite direction from the central position the movable members engage the opposite pair of stationary contact members.

The operating lever 12 is supported upon a fulcrum shaft 28 and may be manually operated, under normal conditions, by a handle lever 29 which .is fulcrumed, near its inner extremity, upon a shaft 30 that is in alinement with the fulcrum shaft 28, the two levers being so constructed that a single forked leversis formed when a connecting pin 31 is inserted throu h a bushing or hub 32 at one extremity of the operating lever 12 into a hollow bored handle member of the other lever. It follows that the handle lover may also occupy any one of the three positions hereinbefore described which are accentuated by three notches 3st and 35, that are located at equal intervals in a concave cylindrically curved surface 36 and attached to a rod 38 which is located in a tubular bore 39 in the handle lever and is provided with a push button 10 which projects beyond the end of the handle. latch is forced into one or another of the notches by a spring 41 which is interposed between the push button 10 and a shoulder i2 in the handle bore and the pressure of which must be overcome in order to release the handle.

The operating lever 12 is provided with a projection 43 and the frame 2 is provided The latch 37 is.

The

tension. The levers may released from. positions corresponding to notches 33 and 35 by the push button 40, or only the operating lever 12 may be released and returned to the mid position by the action of the release magnet' 13 whici comprises a stationary core member 49, a movable core member 50, a magnetizing coil 51, which may be included in the circuit when the switch occupies either of its closed positions and an adjusting lever The movable core member 50 is attached to the lower extremity of ahammer rod '53 which passes through a hole inthe stationary core member 49 and serves as a guide for the movable member. The motion of this member is limited by a nut 54 which is screw threaded upon the upper extremity of the hammer rod after the rod has been thrust through the hole in the stationary member. Ad usting lever 52, is pivotally mounted upon a stationary shaft 55 and is forked: at one end level should be set in order that the circuit may be automatically interrupted by the action of the tripping mechanism. The lever may be set at any position along the slot 52, by means of a thumb screw 57, and be pro vided with an indicating fin er 58 which moves across the scale on the dial. By making the projection and dial integral with the frame of the interrupter they may be independent of the thickness of the slab or panel and therefore be adapted for use on any switchboard.

lVhen the interrupter is closed and the current flowing through the coil 51 reaches a value such that the movable core member 50 is moved into engagement with the stationary member 49, the upper endof the hammer rod strikes one arm of a bell crank lever 60 which is fulcrumed on a shaft 61. the other arm of the bell crank lever being so connected with the pin 31 by a link (":2 that the motionof the lever transmitted by the hammer rod 53 pulls'the pin 31 out vof the handle lever bore and releases the operating lever 12, which is immediately returned to the mid position. In order to again close the switch. the latch 37 must be released from its notch and the handle lever returned to its mid position, when the in reengages the hub 32, by reason oi a spring 68 which tends tohold the bell crank lever in its normal position. This arrange" ment removes the possibilityof holding the interrupter closed y the handle lever when excessive currents traverse the circuit. in

which it'is located, since the automatic release mechanism effects the return of the movable contact members to the opencircuit position, irrespective of the handle lever.

It will be observed that no current-carry ingparts are located on the face of the switchboard and that the switch parts and the tripping coil may be immersedin oil .for which purpose a detachable tank 59 is 7 projection rests and the other end of which is provided with a clampin device.

2. The combination with a magi'ietizable core comprising a stationary portion and a movable portion, and a magnetizing coil for said core,-of means for adjusting the air gap-- which exists between the core members when the coil is deenergized, said means COIDPI'lS:

ing a pivoted lever one end of which super? ports the movable portion and the other-end of which is provided with a clamping device.

3. The combination with a magnetizable core comprising a stationary member and a movable member, and a magnetizing coil for said core, of means for adjusting the air gap which exists when the coil is deenergized, said means comprising a pivotally mounted lever which supports the movable member, and means for clamping the lever in any posit-ion to which it may be moved upon its pivot; Y v

1 4. A tripping device for circuit interrupters comprising a stationary core member, a movable core member, a hammer rod attached to said movablemember and having an enlargement near one end, a pivotally mounted leve'r one end of which engages said enlargement, a calibrated dial having a-slot through which said lever projects.

5Q In a circuit interrupter, a tripping dc vice comprising a stationary core member, a movable core member, a hammer rod at.- taehed to said movable member and screwthreaded near its free end, a nut on the screw-threaded portion, a lever one end of which engages said nut, and a calibrated dial having a slot through which said lever extends.

the other side of thepane' releasing mcchanis m' coniprising a" st a'tio --.ary 'core membenand a m'a ,from the other side of the panel, said means 6. Tu a circuit interrupter, the combinati'on'with a trip" ngdcvicecomprising a sin tionaryfcorc 'llrel'lihC-l. I a movable core iucm-- beifia hammer 1 dattat'zlie d to-said .monible member and "screv threaded near its freeend', a ma; on saidscrew t-htraded iortionga pivotally mounted lever-fond end of which engagessaid u *and: ilibra-teddial haw ing a slottln'iiug i" whit .id=lever projects, .1 ot means forclamp ngtl ever at any point within the limits Qftht ojt.'-=-' 7. 'llic combi at'ion itli' 'aifwvitchhoard panel, a circuit"controller*a n d release niech ii anisni t licrcfoi'coniprisi ng coil and a n'u-imall yj' sup-ports the "movable "coiand pro ectgs l ough-tlie pan( l outer entho ii-v nclrisproi deft Witlif for adjusting the.

4 t). The (SOIHlllllillllOll wit i panel, an oiln'mnersed'cn ui ifgwiiu'l A therefor, a movable corei c erjand a 1m ioo mer rod attaclieddlier o 'l'ihv'inp,"'a 'iiiiflii cated near its extremity, said parts being mounted upon one side of the panel, of means for adjusting the release mechanism comprising a pivotally mounted lever one end of which forked and. engages said nut and the other end of which projects through a slot in the panel.

10. The combination with a switchboard panel, an oil-immersed circuit controller mounted upon one side of the panel and comprising a plurality of stationary contact members, movable contact members, and a release mechanism, comprising a stationary core member, a magnetizing winding thenfor. a movable core member and a hammer rod attached thereto having a nutlocated -near its extren'iity, of means for adjusting the air gap between the stationary and mow able core members from the opposite side of the panel.

ll. The combination with a switchboard panel. an oil-immersed circuit controller mounted upon one side of the switchboard .iand coniprising. a plurality of stationary contact members. movable contact members. and a release mechanism comprising a stationary core men'iber. a magnetizing wind ing' therefor, a movable core member and a hammer rod attached thereto having a nut located near its extremity, of means for adjusting the airgap' between the stationary and movable core members from the other side of the panel, sald means com IlSlllg a pivotally mounted lever one end 0 which is forked. and. engages said nut, a slotted projection having an outer cylindrically curved dial surface to which the other end of the lever may be clamped.

12; The combination with a switchboard panel, an oilimmersed circuit controller mounted on the back ofthe panel and comprising a plurality of stationary contact members, movable contact members, and a release mechanism comprising a stationary core member, a; magnetizing windi therefor,'a movablecore member and a ammer rod attached thereto having a nut located near its extremity, of meansfor adjusting the/air gap between the stationary and movable core. members Tfrom the face of the "switchboard, said-means comprising a. pivotcoated on one side of the panel and comprising a plurality of stationary contact members,'movable co'ntact members, and a release mechanism comprising a stationary core member, a magnetlzmg winding thereg for, a movable core member and a hammer rod attached thereto having a nut located able core members from the opposite side of the panel, said means comprising a pivotally 'mounted lever one end of which is forked and engages said nut, and a calibrated dial having a slot through which one extremity of said lever projects.

14. The combination with a switchboard panel, and a circuit-interrupting device, of means for, automatically tripping said device, said means comprising a stationary core member, and a hammer rod attached thereto having a nut located near'its extremity, a projection which is integral with the frame of the circuit-interrupting, device and projects through a suitable opening in the switchboard panel and the outer extremity of which has a calibrated, cylindrically curved surface, of means for adjusting the releasemechanism from the other side of the panel, said means "comprising a pivotally mounted lever one end of which is forked and engages said nut and the other end of which projects through a slot in the projection having the calibrated, cylindrically curved surface.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 8th day of January, 1906.

' HARVE R. STUART. \Vitnesses R. J. DEARBORN, BIRNEY HINas. 

